Denmark

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Flag of Denmark. Western Europe with Denmark in red. Denmark is a small kingdom located in Northern Europe. It consists of the Jutland peninsula north of Germany, as well as the islands of Zealand, Funen (Fyn), and 401 smaller islands. The country is bordered on the west by the North Sea and on the east by the Baltic Sea. Denmark has two outlying territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, both located in the North Atlantic Ocean. The total land area of Denmark is 43,098 square kilometers. In comparative terms, Denmark is almost twice as big as Massachusetts. The land is low and flat or slightly rolling and the climate is temperate.

The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen, located on the island of Zealand (Sjaelland). The government of Denmark has been a constitutional monarchy, since 1849. The head of state is a king or queen and the head of government is a prime minister. The legislature has one chamber, the People's Assembly (Folketinget), and the judicial branch is the Supreme Court, whose members are appointed for life by the head of state.

The principal language of Denmark is Danish, but English is a required school subject, and fluency is high. Education is free and mandatory until the age of 16. Denmark has a 100 percent literacy rate.

Christianity is the primary religion, 95 percent of the population belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Denmark's currency is the Danish krone. Denmark rejected the Euro in a referendum in 2000, though it is a member of the European Union. Denmark elected to opt out of the European Economic and Monetary Union, which is one of the elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty.

Danes are known for their furniture, industrial and architectural design. Today they lead the world in the use of wind power.

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